Alabama's Groundwater: Part II

The waters on the surface of the earth and beneath the earth are not separate. Water is constantly moving from one zone to the other, this is called the hydrologic cycle. Alabama receives approximately 56 inches of rain a year. Thirty-three inches of this water is evaporated from the surface of the earth and is transpired by plants that take up water through their roots. Approximately 16 inches will run-off to feed lakes and streams and 7 inches will seep into the ground to become groundwater. Groundwater may discharge as springs or seeps into surface water, completing the cycle. The way that groundwater and surface water move through and on the soils is dependent on the rock types.
Source